The Effect of Progressive Muscle Relaxation Exercise Applied Before Endometrial Biopsy on Pain, Anxiety Level and Patient Comfort in Premenopausal Women

Visual Analog Scale (VAS)

Pain intensity was assessed using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS), a simple, reliable, and widely used unidimensional measure of subjective pain intensity (Hawker et al., 2011). The scale consists of a 10-cm horizontal or vertical line anchored by two descriptors representing the extremes of pain (0 = "no pain" and 10 = "worst imaginable pain"). Participants were asked to mark on the line the point that best represented their pain intensity. The score was determined by measuring the distance (in millimeters) from the "no pain" anchor to the participant's mark. It has been shown to correlate well with other clinical pain assessment tools and is frequently used in both research and clinical settings for its ease of use and sensitivity(Jensen et al., 1986).

Time frame: 2 months

State Anxiety Inventory (STAI Form I)

State anxiety was assessed using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI Form I), originally developed by Spielberger and colleagues to measure situational anxiety levels. The scale consists of 20 items evaluating how individuals feel "at the moment," rated on a 4-point Likert scale (1 = not at all to 4 = very much so). The Turkish validity and reliability study was conducted by Öner and Le Compte. The scale includes both direct and reverse-scored items (10 reverse items: 1, 2, 5, 8, 10, 11, 15, 16, 19, and 20). Total scores range from 20 to 80, with higher scores indicating greater anxiety levels. In the present study, the internal consistency of the STAI was high (Cronbach's α = 0.888).

Time frame: 2 months

General Comfort Questionaire (GCQ)

Comfort was assessed using the General Comfort Questionnaire (GCQ), developed by Kolcaba based on the taxonomic structure of comfort theory, which includes three levels and four dimensions. The 48-item instrument is rated on a 4-point Likert scale and includes both positively and negatively worded items; negative items are reverse scored. Total scores range from 48 to 192, with higher scores indicating greater comfort. The final score is calculated by dividing the total score by the number of items, yielding a mean score between 1 and 4. The Turkish validity and reliability study was conducted by Karabacak and Kuğuoğlu, reporting a Cronbach's α of 0.85. In the present study, the internal consistency of the GCQ was excellent (Cronbach's α = 0.926). Subscale reliability coefficients were 0.915 for Relief, 0.908 for Ease, and 0.899 for Transcendence, indicating high reliability.